Parting Shot
by O'Malley's Girl
Summary: A/U, post-S2. Sookie turns to Eric for help in finding the lost Bill and they seek out a hunter in California for aid. But their return to Bon Temps is not what they expected, and Sookie begins to see Eric differently as he struggles to protect her. E/S.


**NOTES: **This takes place immediately following season 2. I haven't seen season 3 yet ( and it kills me ) so this is probably going to veer wildly from the show right from the beginning. Hope you don't mind! Please feel free to leave feedback for me.

**PAIRINGS: **Eric/Sookie

**SPOILERS: **Through season 2, with some things taken from the novels.

* * *

******PARTING SHOT  
_Chapter One_**

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* * *

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I pulled up to _Fangtasia_ and I just didn't know what to do for a moment. With Bill Compton gone, so was my protection. And walking into Eric Northman's bar was beginning to feel like walking into the devil's lair. I took a breath and steeled my nerves. After all, being Bill's girlfriend had taught me something about courage. I glanced down at the ring I'd slid onto my finger, Bill's ring, and took comfort in that. Then I climbed out of the car and stormed the door.

"Sooooookie," Pam said as she saw me stalking into the bar. She drew out my name like a caress, and there was a very, very smug look on her face. If I had been in a more rational state of mind, that might have worried me. But I had enough on my plate thinking about Bill and the fact that I was _sure_ Eric had something to do with it. Or would know what to do about it. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Is Eric here? Nevermind, I'm sure he is. Where is he?"

"Oh." She waved a languid hand. "He's busy."

I peered around her and her slim arm shot out, stopping me in place. I looked up at her and she lifted an eyebrow at me.

"Really?" I asked, exasperated. Pam shrugged.

"It's a business, and _you_ came through the front door."

"You got to be kidding me." I dug through my bag and handed over the door charge to get into _Fangtasia. _I stepped inside and peered around the bar to Eric's chair, but he wasn't lounging in it like he usually was. I took a few steps toward the door to his office, but Pam stopped me again.

"He's in the dungeon. You don't want to go down there."

"I have to see him."

"Okay. But remember I warned you. You really shouldn't." She was smiling a smile I wasn't sure I liked at all, and I hesitated. _Remember, Bill needs you,_ I thought, and headed for the back. Pam followed me, clearly bored with her job as the hostess. In her place, Chow slid forward. He wasn't as beautiful, but you sure weren't going to try and sneak past him, he was too scary.

I marched right down into the dungeon and there he was. Naked. Having sex with a woman I'd never seen before. Really fast, really hot, really primal sex. I froze for a second.

"Holy—"

"Sookie." Eric stopped and for a moment every muscle in that very naked and even I have to admit very beautiful back tensed. Then he seemed to come to some sort of mental acceptance and relaxed again. He stepped away from the woman and turned to me, and I couldn't help it. God help me, my eyes traced over every inch of him. I squeezed my hands into fists and felt Bill's ring on my left hand, and that helped me recover from a sudden wave of admiration for Eric's perfect body. He watched me look him over and there was a wry twist to one corner of his lips. This was a joke to him.

Well, just about everything was. I threw my shoulders back and he approached me, unabashed and unashamed. I definitely kept my eyes on his face.

"I assume this isn't a social call?" There was a hint of a smirk teasing his lips. "Unless of course Bill's relinquished his claim on you, and you've come here to surrender yourself to me at last."

"Yeah right." My tone was sharp, and it bounced off the walls in a harsh echo. Eric's almost-smirk bloomed across his lips. I guess I was the joke, then.

"What can I do for you?"

"You can put some pants on, to start."

He glanced around, then shrugged. "I don't seem to have any handy, at the moment. Perhaps you'd like to strip down instead?"

"In your wildest dreams," I snapped, losing my patience with him. He only smiled at me in a way that suggested I was completely correct. I shivered. "Bill's gone."

That wiped that smile off his face. I felt a bit triumphant, even as the fear and anxiety sank back in after saying the words out loud.

"Gone." Eric's eyes had sharpened and were studying my face. I lifted my chin, determined not to let him notice how worried I was. It was pointless. I'd had his blood, he was probably aware of what I was feeling anyway. "Gone, how?"

"Gone like kidnapped, gone. Are you telling me you didn't have anything to do with it?"

"I didn't." His tone made it clear he would brook no argument. He waved a hand at the girl waiting for him, and she disappeared up the stairs toward _Fangtasia_'s employee's only area, still naked as the day she was born. She was human, but her mind was a jumble of thoughts about Eric, sex, and how sorry she was I had to interrupt. She thought as long as she entertained Eric, he would take care of her and give her gifts. I snorted. I didn't expect anything different from the sheriff of Area 5.

"Then you know who did." I was firm, and I crossed my arms over my chest. He was frowning down at me, and the room was starting to get uncomfortable. Well, scratch that, it had been uncomfortable from long before I'd walked in. But it was growing more so.

"What makes you think I'd know anything about it?" he asked, and though his voice was even and calm, I could tell that he was not as serene as he looked.

"Because you're sneaky, underhanded, tricky and just plain don't like him, that's why."

I had the pleasure of seeing a moment of surprise flicker across his face. "That's absolutely—"

"You're jealous," I concluded.

"And what exactly am I jealous of, Miss Stackhouse?" he asked me, drawing up to his full height and looking down at me with those cool blue eyes. I stared back up at him, full of righteous anger, and—and—

And I didn't know what to say. What was Eric jealous of? The fact that I was Bill's? He'd certainly never been shy about saying that he wanted me for his own, but…jealous?

"I…"

"I didn't take him, nor do I know who did," Eric said suddenly, brushing past me and heading toward the stairs.

"Where are you going? I'm not done!" I darted after him, and he whipped back around toward me, lightning in his eyes.

"I'm going to get dressed, and then I'm going to make a few phone calls, and then if that doesn't yield any illuminating information, I'm going to find him. Anything else, or will that fulfill your requirement of me?"

I felt my mouth hanging open, shocked out of words. I hadn't really expected Eric to want to help me search.

"Well…I…yes, that would be very helpful. Thank you," I added grudgingly.

"Good. Meet me here tomorrow night. If I haven't located Bill by then, then I'll know where to go for help. You may want to pack, just in case."

"Pack? Pack for _what?_"

But Eric was already gone. I followed him up the stairs and knocked on his office door, determined to get more information, but the door was locked and he wasn't answering. Furious with him, and with myself for even coming here in the first place, I stalked back toward the entrance.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Pam asked, her voice pleasant. She looked down at me in great amusement, and I glared at her.

"Your boss," I said, "is a big, naked bastard."

Her laughter followed me out.

* * *

He showed up on my porch the next night only an hour after sunset. I knew it was Eric, it was impossible to mistake that tall silhouette. It took me an extra long moment to open the door, and I hoped that would convey some of my displeasure with him. Boy, I was hopping mad. But Eric was as cool and unruffled as ever.

"Invite me in," he said.

"Not in this lifetime." I crossed my arms. "Did you find out anything about Bill?" I'd been on pins and needles all day, wondering what, if anything, Eric had discovered. But he shook his head as he looked down at me.

"Invite me in," he said again, this time with slight impatience. I was not about to allow Eric to roam around and poke about my personal belongings. I wondered for just a second what Gran would have made of him. She sure would have thought he was handsome. But then, everyone found Eric handsome.

"So what now?" I asked instead. He narrowed his eyes just a bit, but I didn't budge and neither did he. His eyes flicked to the ring on my finger and away again, and he seemed almost exasperated. It was hard to tell, I couldn't read his mind. But there was something there in his expression, something dangerous.

"Now we go to California. I know a…well, I suppose you'd call her a specialist. She'll be able to help."

My mind went blank for a moment. This was just so typically _Eric_, to assume I'd just up and leave with him, fly across the country without any explanation at all, and not have to worry about anything like work.

"Do you think Bill is in California?" I asked.

Eric shook his head slightly, his mouth twisting a little. "No, there's nothing to suggest that."

"Well then, I'm staying right here in Bon Temps. I can't just go flying all over the country, and what if Bill is somewhere nearby?"

"You're coming with me, Sookie. I've already called Sam. Your shifts will be covered by one of my human servers from _Fangtasia. _It's all been arranged. Now we have to get to the airport. Grab your bag and let's go."

"Why in the world do you think I'm going _anywhere_ with you?" I snapped. "I'm not even sure you're not involved in this somehow."

All of a sudden, Eric was surrounding me, crowding me back against a wall. I'd stepped out onto the porch to speak with him, and that was a mistake. Because now my back was flush against the wall, and he was leaning over me, and his strong, white arms making a prison around my head.

"Because, you stubborn woman," he hissed, and I realized his fangs were extended, "Bill has left, presumably against his will, and that means you don't have any protection. There are interested parties that wouldn't hesitate now that he's gone. So that means you're coming with me so _I_ can protect you. Until you get your _precious_ Bill back, of course." His eyes flicked down to the ring again, and just as quickly as he'd imprisoned me, he was gone again. I sucked in a breath. I couldn't begin to explain to you what being near Eric Northman so suddenly was like…it was like almost being struck by lightning. That's the best description I could manage.

"I…let me grab some clothes," I said, and I fled into the house, leaving one very agitated Viking on my porch.

* * *

Eric had retreated to his car to wait for me, and when I joined him, I realized Pam was already seated in the front seat. She spared me a glance, and the look she shot Eric was pure sass. It was clear she didn't think this was a good idea, and I agreed with her. Eric ignored us both, already lost in thoughts I couldn't begin to guess at. Normally the silence that came with vampires was comforting for me; I got so tired of being barraged with people's innermost thoughts all the time. But at the moment, all the mystery made me want to ring his neck.

He probably wouldn't even notice. I glared bullets at the back of his head, and then texted my brother to let him know I'd be out of town, maybe for a few days. Jason didn't answer, predictably.

"We'll find him," Eric said suddenly, with a sort of grim confidence. I looked up at his reflection in the rearview mirror, my eyes narrowed, but his gaze was fixed on the road in front of him.

_Why are you helping me?_ I almost asked. But Pam _was_ looking at me, looking at me as though she was seeing the end of a comfortable, established existence. She glanced at Eric, touched his stiff shoulder briefly, and then looked out of the window again. I didn't know what to make of this, but suddenly I realized how much Pam loved Eric.

I also turned to look out the window. And I tried not to ache for Bill as Eric's car took us further and further from Bill's home and my own.


End file.
